This weekend, the Spi Ouest-France Banque Populaire Grand Ouest closed the ETF Series 2021. The conditions were ideal for a last confrontation between the six ETF26 in La Trinité-sur-Mer. The crews gave it their all until the very end to try and upset the ranking from day to day. In the end, Team PRO won the event and ABC Arbitrage - Entreprises du Morbihan won the ETF SERIES 2021 for the second consecutive year. A SUCCESSFUL SPI OUEST-FRANCE
For three days, the ETF26 were able to compete in Quiberon Bay surrounded by some 335 other boats. They were able to get their bearings in ideal conditions on the first day. A 10-12 knot north-easterly wind allowed them to show the best flights and sail over the water at full speed. The second day was more tactical. The easing wind forced the crews to measure their movements, their positioning on the boat and their trajectory to gain the most distance on the competitors. Then, the wind came back on Sunday, allowing them to close this season in style with five races full of twists and turns.
Indeed, the game was hard fought between the six ETF26. Team PRO came out on top, winning 8 out of 12 races. "We are proud of our regatta," said Jean-Christophe Mourniac, skipper of Team PRO. "Our trio worked very well and we were able to win a lot of races. The battle is always tough on the water!"
ABC Arbitrage - Entreprises du Morbihan finished second this weekend with 33 points, closely followed by Toroa Racing Team who rounded out the podium with just 3 more points. Although newcomers to the ETF26 circuit,the British team gave the others a run for their money on the water. "The heats were really tough as all the boats now seem to be performing similarly," said Toroa Racing Team owner Mark Rikjse. "We are very happy with our consistency over the three days of racing. We had to fight on the water and sometimes even coming in fourth place was a victory. This Sunday was probably the most intense of the whole season for our team in terms of satisfaction and speed on the water!"
CLOSING OFF A BEAUTIFUL 2021 SEASON
After a final day of foiling, the teams took apart and put away their ETF26s for the last time this season. Indeed, this event was the last event of the ETF Series 2021. This season saw five fought events, new crews, an increasingly homogeneous level within the fleet and therefore very disputed races on all events.
ABC Arbitrage - Entreprises du Morbihan came out on top of the championship for a second consecutive year. The crew dominated the year's regattas thanks to their almost perfect control of the boat. Congratulations to the crews, Billy Besson, Valentin Bellet, Moana Vaireaux, Matthieu Salomon and Kevin Fischer for this great first place. "It was a great season for our team," said Matthieu. "We raced well this year and we are proud of our performance. There was a lot of competition and we fought hard on the water to win the races. I really remember the races, the great flights, I hope to see that again soon in 2022."
Youth Foiling Team took second place in the overall championship standings after a string of podium finishes throughout the season. "We are very happy with our second place in the ETF 2021 Series and the overall project with the partners," said Charles Dorange, team skipper. "The Youth Foiling Team is a team in constant progress, we can't wait to come back next year! The circuit is becoming more independent, the teams are becoming more professional and the level is increasing. We are very proud to be part of the ETF26 history. A big thank you to the Class, the race organizers and congratulations to the ABC Arbitrage- Entreprises du Morbihan team for their victory in the ETF Series 2021!"
John Gimson, helmsman of Toroa Racing Team, who finished third in this year's ETF Series, said, "Our progression curve has been huge over the last few races. I think we really learned a lot from our first race on Lake Garda in July to today. The goal of this season was for us to watch the fleet, learn how to operate the boat and gain as much knowledge as possible. We hope to come back even stronger next year!"
Mathis Bourgnon, a member of Bourgnon's Foily team who finished sixth in the rankings, also hopes to come back stronger next year: "We don't yet have All the secrets for every sailing angle. We must not forget that we are fighting against high level sailors," he said. "It's great because we feel there is potential and, without a few little glitches, we are in the mix. We hope to be able to have a more consistent crew throughout the season and make at least fifth next year!"
See you in spring 2022!
General ranking Spi Ouest-France Banque Populaire Grand-Ouest
1. Team PRO / Jean-Christophe Mourniac - 20 points
2 - ABC Arbitrage - Entreprises du Morbihan / Kevin Fischer - 33 points
3- Toroa Racing Team / Mark Rijkse - 36 points
4. Youth Foiling Team / Charles Dorange- 37 points
5. Cool Runnings Racing Team / Thorklid Juncker - 52 points
6. Bourgnon's Foily / Yvan Bourgnon - 63 points
ETF SERIES 2021 ranking
